Your arthritis is causing joint pain, stiffness and inflammation. And you’re about to reach for a heating pad or an ice pack to get some relief. But is heat or ice better for arthritis? ; Both are good options, with heat therapy soothing stiff joints and cold therapy reducing pain. In fact, some people find the best relief when alternating between both. ; Rheumatologist Rochelle Rosian, MD, explains when to use heat or ice for arthritis and provides some guidance on how to alternate between hot and cold therapies.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects the body beyond joint pain — your heart, lungs, skin, vision, bone health, and more. Learn about symptoms, complications, and how treatments can prevent damage.
Sometimes RA affects other parts of your body, including your heart, lungs, eyes, and blood vessels ; Doctors can tell if you have RA based on your symptoms, x-rays, and blood tests ; Treatments can include medicines, exercise, and sometimes surgery
You’re pregnant, and you’re thrilled (congrats, by the way!) … but you’re worried, too. What does this mean for your rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? · Good news: Healthy, successful pregnancies can absolutely be in the cards for people with RA. “It’s all about receiving good preconception counseling and working with your doctor to closely manage and control your RA,” says rheumatologist Emily Littlejohn, DO, MPH. “Having good disease control with pregnancy-safe medications is really...
It can increase the need for sleep and make it hard to concentrate or do anything. Constantly feeling exhausted and not being able to maintain an active lifestyle can affect your mood too: Many people who have rheumatoid arthritis also feel depressed, irritable or anxious. These feelings can be hard for others to fully understand. The severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may vary a lot from day to day. This can make it difficult to plan ahead. You don't know how you will feel the next day. This means that people with rheumatoid arthritis f ...
Hardly anyone escapes the annoyance of occasional aches and pains, especially as they age. But persistent joint pain and stiffness can be signs of arthritis, which affects more than 58.5 million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By 2040, an estimated 78.4 million American adults are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. While there are over 100 types of arthritis and related conditions, notes the Arthritis Foundation , it can be separated...
Key Takeaways ; All types of arthritis cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. ; Doctors look for patterns of symptoms to distinguish psoriatic arthritis from other types of arthritis. ; It can take several doctor visits to get a definitive diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis.
Additional features of rheumatoid arthritis can include the following: ; It affects the lining of the joints, which damages the tissue that covers the ends of the bones in a joint. ; RA often occurs in a symmetrical pattern, meaning that if one knee or hand has the condition, the other hand or knee is often also affected. ; It can affect the joints in the wrists, hands, elbows, shoulders, feet, spine, knees, and jaw.
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms ; Causes and risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis ; Rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis ; Rheumatoid arthritis treatment
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. The condition usually affects the hands, feet and wrists. ; There may be periods where symptoms become worse, known as flare-ups or flares. ; A flare can be difficult to predict, but with treatment it's possible to decrease the number of flares and minimise or prevent long-term damage to the joints.